Be more stern with players, Akhtar tells Misbah

Karachi: Pakistan's former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has advised captain Misbah-ul-Haq to become more stern and be strong with the players if the team harbours hopes of doing well in the cricket World Cup.

"I am totally disappointed today at the way some of our batsmen played rash strokes and got out against India. I think Misbah has to shed some of his humbleness and calmness and deal with such players strongly," Akhtar said on Geo News Channel after Pakistan lost their sixth straight match to India in World Cup history.

"Look at Ahmed Shehzad he has been now around for three to four years and what was he trying to do. I would dare him to show this same irresponsible attitude if Imran Khan was captain he would be shown the door in no time," Akhtar said.

He said while it was true that the World Cup was still wide open and the team needed to be backed, it disappointed him to see the attitude of some players.

"We saw Sohaib Maqsood laughing in the dressing room after he got out for a duck to a rank bad shot when his team required him to stay at the wicket. What attitude is this?" He questioned.

Akhtar said it was time Misbah stopped being a nice person.

"They need to be told what they are required to do to remain in this team. This is Pakistan team not a club side. They let down millions of people today with their poor performances," he said.

Akhtar also felt it was time for Misbah to decide the future of senior batsman Younis Khan in the team.

"Honestly speaking Younis should have left ODIs two years back but he is still playing... why because the board and selectors came under pressure after a media campaign," Akhtar noted.

He said the tour selection committee would have to seriously decide whether Younis warranted a place in the side in the remaining matches of the tournament.

Former captain Rameez Raja also told Geo News that the defeat would have led to mental scarring of the Pakistani team.

"I just hope they can rebound from this defeat because they now need to win all their matches and show more discipline and purpose in their cricket," he said.

He said Misbah as usual had played his role in the batting but the other batsmen needed to realise they must rally around their captain.

"It was also a bad idea to not play a regular wicketkeeper and that must change in the next matches," Rameez said.